BART response to ad campaign paid for by Progressives for Immigration Reform

BART response to ad campaign paid for by Progressives for Immigration Reform

Advertisements paid for by Progressives for Immigration Reform went up this week in parts of the BART system.

They’ve been placed primarily at San Francisco’s Civic Center Station and Oakland’s 19th Street Stations with smaller numbers in other stations and in trains.

This campaign complies with free speech laws that allow advertisers to express a point of view without regard to the viewpoint. BART must post these ads to comply with the law. Court rulings reinforce the fact that we can’t deny the ads.

BART does not endorse these ads. In fact, our Board of Directors passed a Safe Transit Policy in 2017 to send a clear message to the public and our riders that BART is a safe and welcoming system for all people. The policy states in part “the strength and vitality of our riding community and our employees come from our rich diversity of cultures, experiences and faiths, and we celebrate that diversity”. It also states, “The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District recognizes and upholds the rights of individuals to be treated fairly and to live their lives with dignity, free from discrimination or targeting because of their faith, race, national origin, or immigration status”.

The ads were paid for by Progressives for Immigration Reform at a cost of $80,000.